Yoshiaki Kawajiri

[Twitter](https://twitter.com/yoshi_kawajiri) | [Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B7%9D%E5%B0%BB%E5%96%84%E6%98%AD) | [Wiki (en)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiaki_Kawajiri) Yoshiaki Kawajiri is an esteemed director and general anime creator. After he graduated from high school in 1968, he worked as an animator at [Mushi Production](https://anilist.co/studio/68/) until it closed. He then founded [Madhouse](https://anilist.co/studio/11/) together with fellow former Mushi Pro employees, [Masao Maruyama](https://anilist.co/staff/103170/), [Osamu Dezaki](https://anilist.co/staff/100393/) and [Rintarou](https://anilist.co/staff/102305/). At Madhouse, he debuted as a director on 1984's [Lensman](https://anilist.co/anime/2770/), albeit still jointly with the more experienced [Kazunori Hirokawa](https://anilist.co/staff/170070/). Kawajiri made his full-fledged directorial debuts in 1987, with [Wicked City](https://anilist.co/anime/1107/) and Running Man, the latter being a short film a part of an anthology collection, [Neo Tokyo](https://anilist.co/anime/1951/). Wicked City was originally meant to be a short film as well, but the producers were impressed enough in Kawajiri to let him turn it into a feature-length film. After these, Kawajiri directed [the third installment](https://anilist.co/anime/2998/) of Madhouse's adaptations of the highly acclaimed [Osamu Tezuka](https://anilist.co/staff/96938/) manga series, [Phoenix](https://anilist.co/manga/31325/). Wicked City received critical and commercial success upon its release, giving Kawajiri more creative freedom. As a result of this he began writing the script for his own original film, [Ninja Scroll](https://anilist.co/anime/617/), a movie set in feudal Japan following a mercenary swordsman battling a team of ninjas with supernatural powers who are intent on overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate. After the movie's international release, Kawajiri's status as a director received global recognition and he went on to direct multiple other works in the late '90s and early '00s. In recent years, Kawajiri has taken a step back from directing, but has been guest appearing as a storyboard artist all over the industry.